


Of Choices and Tribulations

by synomous01



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-02-21 22:45:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13153593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/synomous01/pseuds/synomous01
Summary: Tony Stark was aiming to have a normal routine check in with one of his biogenetics labs when he finds himself in a hostage situation.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Iron man or Spiderman (or any of the marvel universe characters) - though it would be amazing if I did

**Tony Stark**

Tony Stark was not a man without his enemies.  In fact, his way of thinking was, every person needed a healthy dose of someone that really really hated them.  The reality was, you couldn’t live your life pleasing everyone; you lived your life the way you believe you should.  And that of course meant that there had to be one person in the world who would simply despise you for doing just that.  Like take for example:  walking outside your home to your office, there was bound to be one person along the way who must have cursed you, i.e. for Tony it would be how rich of a pompous assh*le he was.  The question was, did Tony _care_?  No.  Because you couldn’t win on something like this and to him, it was trivial.  He didn’t need anyone to like him - just not having anyone come at him seeking vengeance or trying to hurt the people he cared about was enough.  

 

For Tony, however, that small request was too much to ask for.  No.  People who hated him, despised him, always wanted to _do_ something show that they were serious.  Like today, which should have been a normal routine visit to one of his biogenetics facilities, he was suddenly locked into a hostage situation.  

 

Hands raised slightly above the chest and using the most neutral tone he could, Tony Stark was trying his best to talk some sense into a man that was threatening to kill everyone in the facility with a deadly gas.  Oh, and that wasn’t adding on the fact the man also had a _gun_ on him.  Irony was, the man wasn’t some random person that snuck into the facility.  He was a man that Tony Stark himself had _hired_.  

 

Quinn Sharpe was an associate of Dr. Helen Cho, a person that she had worked with on and off for over a five year period of time.  In that time, even Bruce Banner himself worked with him.  The man held an excellent track record and his various connections to key members of his team also added to his CV.  So when Helen approached Tony to add Quinn to their Project Cradle team, he didn’t question it, much less do his usual thorough background check.  Even with the surface check, the man was clean, nothing was amiss about him so he was given security clearance as well as Tony’s trust.  

 

Yet that trust was short lived.  It turned out that Quinn Sharpe was a person that was deeply affected by what had happened in Sokovia the tragedy had put him over the edge.  

“Look, I’m sorry for your loss, Quinn.  I am.  But there’s a lot of innocent people here.  People who have nothing to do with Sokovia.  It was a tragedy, we did what we could to save the people.  If anything, just let everyone here go.   I’ll stay.  I’m your target, right?  I can stay.  Just let everyone else go.  Do the right thing, Quinn.”

Tony, even as he spoke, was readying to activate his Ironman pulser on his right wrist.  All he needed was a second of distraction, and he could knock the man out before he could do any harm.  Yet in the time that he had started to ‘negotiate’ with Quinn, Tony realized despite the insane threat of killing everyone in the facility, the man was remarkably calm.  He reminded of Helmut Zemo, a man meticulous in his planning and would indefinitely go through with his threat.  Seeing the similarities between them, Tony felt a slight more cautious in dealing with the man.  If he was like Zemo, who had killed over a dozen delegates from the International Vienna Centre just so that he could make a point of destroying the Avengers, then he didn’t doubt Quinn would do the same, just to make a point.  Using innocent people as pawns to pay for a mistake that the Avengers did.   _No, a mistake you made, Tony_ a voice in the back of Tony’s head whispered.

 

Tony needed to neutralize the guy, he needed an opening of some kind.  If he made an error, in an instant, Quinn would release the gas.  

 

As if reading his mind, Quinn spoke, “You really shouldn’t bother activating your blaster, Tony.  You can and the minute you do, I’ll flood this entire building with a toxin that will be a greater legacy to your name than Ultron.”

Tony’s eyes narrowed at Sharpe’s words.  People knew about Sokovia, about the damage the ensued in the battle with an alien life form.  But Ultron… that was not released out in the public.  How did he know this information?  

“You’ve been accessing classified files within FRIDAY,” stated Tony in realization.

“Well done, plus one for the genius!”  Sharpe shook his head, “Funny how Ultron’s role was hidden away from the public and replaced with an ‘alien’ threat.  Does anyone here know you created the threat that ended up putting Sokovia as the sacrifice for the mistake?” The man paused for a dramatic effect, scanning the room, “No.. I didn’t think so.  Look at their faces, they have such trust in your vision, your disruptive designs, to protect the world, change it... but they have no idea how your experiments have put people in the line of fire, have spilled blood, all because of this inflated ego of yours, you think you can do whatever you want.”

“Quinn,” started Tony, trying ignore all the eyes in the lab staring at him, “it was a mistake.  A terrible one that I am responsible for.  I know it and that’s why, that’s why the Accords exist now.  It will keep people in check.  I’ve signed the Accords, so something like this, it won’t ever happen again.“  Tony hated to placate to the man’s feelings.  Yes, he felt guilty for everything that had happened, he still had nightmares about it sometimes.  But he didn’t want to do it for a man who was acting like a terrorist, threatening to hurt people.  Yet, this was the only way Tony could think of to not agitate the man, even to buy time.  Someone must notice that it was strange Tony wasn’t contactable.

“Won’t happen again?” scoffed out Quinn with bitterness, “How nice, you get to sign a little piece of paper and all the bad feelings go away.  No.  No, it doesn’t work that way, Tony Stark.  I can do the same too, take someone you care about and I’ll just say I’m sorry.  Will that work for you, Tony?  Would that suffice?  

 

Tony didn’t like the way the conversation was headed.  Time to reroute it a bit.  

“Look, I’m not perfect, I’m far from perfect, but none of the tragedies was ever for the sake of ourselves.  Ultron.  I made it to protect Earth from potential threats.  It ... failed to do as it intended.  It hurt a lot of people, but it’s intention, it had always been to protect, to save people.”

“Save people…” the man trailed off.  “Of course.  You just weigh who is more important.  Do you know how it feels to have someone make that decision for you?  My boys were not even eight, Tony, when their lives were taken away from them. Eight.   On a mistake you made and never had to own up to it.  You were called a hero,” Quinn let out a dry laugh, “having saved the world from an abomination you created.  All is forgiven for signing a simple government contract while my family is buried six feet under.  How, Tony, how can I even the playing field to this?”

 

God, the man sounded way too much like Zemo, thought Tony.  It felt like deja vu, though Tony did not want it to end up the same way it had then.

The tension in the room was on high. No one moved, no one could barely breathe.  

Until suddenly the lab door slid open and a scientist entered with a small group of people.

“Mr. Stark, I’m here with the _Guardian’s Initiative_ group as you requested -- “, and the man saw Quinn and the gun in his hand and it seemed to click – they should not be there.

“Okay, guys, let’s move on to another –,” he started but Quinn waved his gun at them.

“No.  Stay.  Leave and I’ll shoot someone,” said Quinn.  “I’ve been waiting for you.”  He gestured with his weapon for them to enter and the scientist and his small group reluctantly stepped further inside the room.  Without even glancing at the console, Quinn typed something and the lab door made a locked sound and suddenly a series of reinforced steel panels dropped down, sealing them in.  This was a security lockdown that Banner had installed himself when he worked in the lab - in case he turned green... thought it was never needed.  The man had been the calmest when he was with his element - science.  There was no way that no one would not notice something like this.  

“Now that our guests are here, we don’t want any more interruptions.”  Quinn looked at Tony again, “I can read the wheels turning in your head, Tony.  You must think, hey, someone must notice this lab is on lockdown mode!  Don’t worry, I’ve already thought ahead for you as it’s just a drill.  Memo has been passed around to everyone yesterday.”  Quinn suddenly looked past Tony and then said, “Dr. Jacobson,” he said barely missing a beat,  “Do stop trying to text for help, there’s absolutely no cell reception in here.  I’d hate you to have to waste your cell phone battery.”  

 

“Now, back to business.  It looks like even after everything that has happened with Sokovia, and the creation of Ultron, you, Tony Stark, still haven’t learned your lesson.  Still trying to build something to ‘protect’ the world.  I have to admit, I was surprised how creative you’ve become, putting an anonymous contest online to find qualified individuals from all walks of life... you’re a true man of diversity.”

 

“How did you get this list,” asked Tony, though he knew the answer already, and Quinn _knew_ that he knew the answer as well.   It was a rhetorical question really.

 

“It’s amazing what you can find when you have clearance.  You hurt a lot of people, Tony, and one could say I was willing to forgive, I was.  Until I came across this new initiative you were starting up, an experimental one.  I can only wonder what new invention you were coming up with, another Ultron even?  It doesn’t change with you.  You even did this under Secretary Ross’s nose.  Your signing of the Accords, it really is all a show.”

 

“Quinn, I don’t know what you think the Guardians Initiative is, but it’s not another Ultron and it’s not done under Ross’s radar.  It is pending --”

 

“Don’t f*cking lie to me, Stark,” snapped Quinn his eyes had turned from cool and collected to a sudden not so stable person.   _Back it up, Tony, back it up_ , he told himself.  If he didn’t Quinn might actually release the gas.

 

“I’ve seen the communications between you and Ross, and there’s not a word of it shared between you and him.  You’ve learned nothing, Tony.  Nothing.  But I’m here today, to give you a lesson in humility.  You’d be surprised that familiar faces can turn up even on a wide scale search among millions of people.”

 

Quinns words made Tony turn towards the Guardians Initiative recruits and among them, instantly, Tony saw a familiar face - Harley Keener.  Quinn saw the recognition in Tony’s eyes, smiled, and in that same moment, the man took aim at the kid and fired his weapon.  


	2. Chapter 2

“No!”  Tony barely managed to cry out was he leapt forward towards Harley, but he was too far and too late.  The boy dropped to the ground, but to Tony’s surprise, he was not alone.  Someone else had managed to push Harley out of the way.  Someone with messy brown hair.  Someone who wasn’t any older than Harley.  And someone Tony Stark knew, he could feel it in his gut.  As Tony crouched down, and gently moved to the crumpled person next to Harley.  The face he saw, it was who he had dreaded it would be - Peter Parker.   _Tell me he missed, tell me the assh*le God damn f*cking missed!_ No.  Quinn hadn’t missed.  Blood came away from Tony’s hands as he assessed the kid’s injury.  Already there was red starting to pool around Peter’s body.   _Shit, damn it!_

The bullet had struck the kid in the abdomen, and from what Tony could tell, there was no exit wound.  While not having an exit would slowed the chance for the kid of bleeding out, it also made Peter vulnerable to infection.  The high schooler’s face was ashen white, and even then he managed the look of both surprise and happiness to see Tony.   _No.  You should not be happy to see me, thought Tony.  It’s me that this psycho wanted and you became collateral damage_.

“Peter,” he said, feeling sick to his stomach.

“I’m okay, Mr. Stark, I’m okay.  Is he... he’s okay?” asked Peter, his voice laced with pain.

“Harley’s good,” said Tony as he glanced over at Harley who had already risen up from the ground, shock written over his face.  While there was blood on Harley, it wasn’t _his_ blood, it was Peters’.  Tony’s attention went back to Peter, but found that the boy had started to close his eyes. No.  The kid should _not_ sleep.  He needed to stay awake.  Tony Stark felt the prickles of tears at the edge of his eyes.  

“Peter!  Hey hey, no sleeping on the job.  Okay?” Peter’s glassy eyes reopened and looked at him.  There was a blink and then another to show acknowledgement that he was going to fight to stay conscious.   Tony applied pressure against the boy’s wounds, the red though just kept coming.  But at least pressing on the wound jolted Peter awake.   _Sorry kid, better pain than death.  You’ve got this._

“Tony, here,” It was Helen Cho.  She was by Tony’s side, taking over adding the pressure.  Tony knew the kid was in good hands.  One thing good about being stuck in a lab, it was he was surrounded by medical professionals.  While it was not their primary field of study, they were all trained in it at one point.

“What the f*ck!” Snapped Tony as he stood up to glare at Quinn, not caring that the gun was trained back on to him.    

The man simply shrugged, “He wasn’t actually my target, Tony... but I think I got my point across.”

“Kid,” he gestured to Harley, “ get over here.”

Keener stood up slowly and looked over at Tony, his eyes held no fear, as he started towards the scientist.

“Harley, stay where you are.  You are not going to him,” said Tony through gritted teeth.

Sharpe let out a long sigh and with no hesitation shifted his gun and fired – at Helen Cho.

*******

**Helen Cho**

Watching the gun being aimed and fired at a child, that had been a horrible thing to witness.  But to also become it’s next target, that was also not something Helen expected to be a part of.

Helen for a moment was reminded of how people often said they saw their lives flash before their eyes, just before they died.  Helen had thought she was going to die when Ultron shot her a few months ago.  But he had been a complete stranger, an artificial life that had gone haywire.  But Quinn Sharpe, he was a man that she had worked with for the past five years.  They’d had drinks together, laughed and been each other’s confidences.  Helen had thought she _knew_ the man.  That if he chose to hurt her, shoot her even, there would have been a slight hesitance.  

 

She was wrong, she didn’t know the man at all.  She didn’t think anyone could shoot a child in cold blood and be so unfazed afterwards.  And in that moment, Helen wished she could just rush at him, take him down somehow even as a distraction.   But what stopped her was the man had the power to kill everyone in the building outside this lab.  

 

Helen, knew though, her choices of even doing that wasn't happening.  Because she was going to die.  It was to her surprise though, the kid, with a grip she didn’t expect from someone that had been shot, had enough strength and reflex to pull her towards him in the last second.

The shot that should have ended her life, missed her by a bare margin.  The bullet instead sailed past her and struck a beaker from behind, shattering it.

Sharpe looked surprised.  “Bravo, Ms. Cho, it seems like my aim has been rather poor today.”

Helen was shaken.  The beaker was on level with her head.  It had been a headshot.  This man she had worked side by side with for the past five years had attempted to kill her on a whim.  As an example of how serious he was.  Asshole.

“Helen, are you okay?” Tony was speaking to her, and she all but nodded, though her focus wasn’t on him at all.  Instead, all she could do was look at Peter, who still had an iron grip on her arm and his eyes though pained, was deathly alert.  She knew that luck had little to do with her missing that bullet.  This boy wasn’t normal.  There was no way Helen should have survived the shot.   She would have to ask Tony later who the kid was because he had said the kid’s name without hesitation.  She hoped that Quinn didn’t see that connection as well because she feared that it would be used that against Tony.  One kid being taken hostage today was enough.  

“Kid, as I said earlier, come _here_.”

Helen watched as the other boy approached the scientist without a hint of fear, even when the gun was pressed against his temple.   Where did Tony Stark find these people?  They were acting well beyond their age.  The boy, he was at most only fifteen years old.  Helen felt Peter squeeze her hand and she turned to look at the equally young kid.

“Is there another way out of this lab?” The words came out in barely a whisper.


	3. Chapter 3

**Tony Stark**

“Enough,” said Tony, tired of Quinn Sharpe’s games.  What the man had done to Peter was more than enough for Tony to see the man wasn’t bluffing.  Not that he had any doubts about it to begin with.  Now Quinn had attempted to kill Helen Cho as a warning shot.  Though, warning shot might have been what everyone else saw, but Tony knew better, especially from his angle; the bullet should have struck Helen.  Somehow Peter had sensed it ahead of time, and pulled her forward just enough for the bullet to pass her.  The kid had told him once something about his senses were enhanced, dialed up to 11.  Was this what he was referring to?   _Then you should have learned to dodge that bullet the first time_ , thought Tony.  But he knew that if Peter could have dodged it, he would have.  God, he hoped the kid was okay.  He had to be.   _Yes, aren’t you feeling hopeful today? Because getting shot in the abdomen is nothing.  Anyone can just shake that off._ Damn it.  Focus.  Focus.  Trying all that he could, Tony with gritted teeth, pushed himself to refocus his attention to Quinn.  The man wanted it, and Tony was going to give it to him as long as it meant keeping the trigger happy man from firing his gun again.

 

“What. Is. It. You. Want. From. Me!” He enunciated each word out to the man.  “You’re not making any sense.  You want to make me suffer, yay, you’re doing it now.  This,” he gestured towards the others in the room, “ _this_ makes no sense.  You shoot a kid.  You try to shoot your lab partner you worked with for several years.  Now what.. you want to shoot another person?  Keep him as hostage? Quinn, work with me, I’m trying to understand what you want.  I’m an open target, if you’re looking for someone to pay for what happened in Sokovia, I’m  here.  Shoot me, shoot _me_ goddamn it!”

“Death, Tony, I think is too good for you,” said Quinn with a slight shake of his head.  “But you know what is funny, Tony, is that you still think you’re in control here, thinking that if you just offered up yourself, everything will be fine.  You think you can just wipe away all the sins like that.  Playing the hero, stepping up and confronting a scientist gone mad.  To die in trying to save everyone.  No, Tony, today, you will definitely live, you will just keep on living, and remembering that you failed. No, not only that you failed, but you created me.  You who created Ultron, destroyed a country, countless families, ended up creating me, creating Helmut.”

 

Tony swallowed thickly hearing the name of Helmut Zemo.  Quinn knew a lot of classified information.  The question was, just how much did he know?  And did he leak any of it out? Tony would have to thoroughly go through this with FRIDAY.

“I wonder how this story will spin, how will you justify to yourself after today, play the hero, save the masses and forsake just one little person.”

 

“Tony’s a hero, you assh*le,” said Harley sharply making everyone in the room focus on him.

_Ah shit, kid.  Really?  This is not the time,_ thought Tony, afraid that the boy’s words would bring the unwanted attention of Quinn Sharpe.

It did as Tony feared, though it seemed to bemuse the scientist.  “Really.   A hero.  I’m pretty sure I just stated how much damage Tony Stark has done by simply breathing.  Do they not teach kids to listen in highschool?”

“I think I listen a lot better than you.  He’s not the best guy in personality, but he always puts his priority on protecting people.  That is more than you, a petty small minded jackass will ever manage in your lifetime.  And I’m not a little person, assh*le, I’ve got a name,” was the kids’ reply without a hint of fear in his voice.

If there had ever been a moment where Quinn didn’t have an instant reply, this was it.  Tony would have laughed aloud if the situation wasn’t so dire.  And he would have also been rather insulted by Harley’s stab at his personality - Tony had a great one, he just wasn’t really good with kids.  

 

“Well.  That may be your opinion, but I have mine.  I suppose this is where the freedom of speech comes into play, Mr. Keener,” he said finally after a moment.

 

Tony could see the kid wanted to hide his surprise, but Quinn just laughed.  “I know about you.  I know that Tony here has been sending a lot of advanced tech over to Rose Hill, Tennessee for the past eight years.  I was curious at first and had to do a little digging.  And low and behold, Tony Stark, the man without a heart, actually reached out to a poor kid that lived out in the backwoods with an absentee father and a mom that works so hard to scrape by.  Not an exact parallel to his own life, but close enough.  All those little email exchanges, not the most heartwarming ones I admit, but I guess it’s as nice as Tony could be to a runt kid that might take up the mantle when he’s washed up.  Just readying a new generation of ethicless vigilanties, right Tony?  I guess in some in some ways you could also thank your mentor for that, because otherwise, I’d probably have selected Miss Potts instead of you.”

 

Quinn grinned at Tony tensing immediately at the mention of Pepper.  

 

“You --,” started Tony but was interrupted by a cry from Helen Cho.  

 

All eyes turned on to the convulsing figure on the ground.   _Peter!  Ah shit._ Tony immediately started to move towards the kid but stopped when Quinn tapped the gun against Harley’s temple.

“Na-ah.  Stay where you are, Tony.”

“He’s hurt really badly, please let me get him some help,” said Helen Cho, her voice cracking in urgency.

“This lab is in lockdown, Helen, no one is leaving here,” he said in a most casual way, as if they were having a conversation about the weather.

_Demented assh*le_ was what came to Tony’s mind just by seeing Helen’s instant expression at his response.  Helen, however, composed herself again and tried again to reason with Quinn.

“Let me at least try and keep him alive.  He’s just a kid.  Like you said, he’s not even your target.  Let me take him to the AC-Lab, there are tools that that can help stop the bleeding.  You can keep an eye on us if you don’t trust me, it’s just at the corner, right at that corner,” she gestured to the lab that was adjacent to where Quinn stood.  “Please,”  Helen pleaded, her voice desperate.

 

Quinn paused for a moment, stared at Peter’s injured form on the ground and then to Tony’s and everyone’s surprise, the man nodded.  “Fine, go now, before I change my mind.”  Maybe the man _did_ have a conscious afterall.  But that didn’t change the fact that he shot Peter in the first place.

 

Helen relieved at Quinn’s decision immediately took two scientists to help her move Peter to the lab.

  

***

**Helen Cho**

Helen been surprised when Peter asked if there was another way out of the X-Lab.  The only thing that came to her mind was the vent located in the AC-Lab, a small med lab that Dr. Banner had requested to be added during the construction of Pharmax several years ago.  Helen had never thought that one little add-on could possibly save hundreds of lives.  Now the question was, how was the kid going to get to the vent since A. It was located on the ceiling and B. There was a large window pane making everything completely visible to Quinn.  

 

As the two scientists gently set Peter on the lab table, it was only under bright light that Helen could see how badly injured Peter was.  No, Peter couldn’t and _shouldn’t_ be trying anything.  Also, given that Quinn himself was a doctor, he knew how much time it took to get a bullet out.  They didn’t have enough time and Helen, after seeing how deathly pale Peter was, decided she was going forward to what she had told Quinn, she was really going to get the bullet out.

“Alright Peter, I’m going to inject some anesthesia to numb the pain, and we’ll begin removing the bullet okay?”

Peter shook his head, “No, I need to get out of here, that guy, he’s going to kill both Harley and everyone outside this lab.  I can’t… I can’t have that, and Mr. Stark, he won’t be able to live with that either.   The guy isn’t playing fair.”  The kid’s hands were balled up in anger.  “Please, just help me distract him, give me five minutes,” he asked pleadingly.  

_Five minutes_.  Helen wavered.  It wasn’t that the kid’s puppy eyes were working on her, but it was also the fact what Peter was saying was true.  Quinn was playing with Tony, like a cat taunting the mouse.  Helen was pretty sure Tony knew that too and was doing everything in his power to stall for time in hopes that someone would be suspicious and come rescue them.  

 

What Quinn was going through, Helen could understand how his perspective of things went down.  But while the man had worked with Helen in the past, Quinn had only worked with Tony for a year, he hadn’t seen the past seven years behind everything, after the battle in New York.  Quinn had no idea how truly devastating it was and how damn scared Tony Stark was of chancing another invasion of that same magnitude.  

 

Tony had meant to do good with Ultron, Helen knew that.  He and Banner had worked together on it so that the A.I. would be the first defense in case of anything coming down to attack Earth.  No one expected the A.I. to go rogue and attempt to destroy the world.  Technically, then if Quinn wanted to take revenge, he should have Banner here as well.   _Yeah, Big Green guy, you would so shit in your pants, Quinn_ , thought Helen rather snarkly.

 

No matter what Quinn’s motivations were, how much pain he endured, it didn’t give him the right to put so many innocent lives at risk for his own agenda.  Nor did it given him the right to put all of it on Tony Stark’s shoulders.

“Alright.  Five minutes.”  

 

Helen moved and prepared to place enough of a base to form the silhouette of a body, making sure to block Peter’s ‘head’ with the box of a first aid kit.  Satisfied that it was passable as a dummy, Helen went to retrieve a pair of scissors.  When she turned back to the lab table, however, Peter was gone.  Trying not to let her jaw drop and not to overreact she turned her head slowly and carefully, searching the room for the kid.  Did Peter have the power of invisibility or something?  Where was he?  Suddenly, there was a red droplet, then two, then three, that fell onto her lab coat.  Helen carefully looked up with her eyes and saw that the kid was on the damn ceiling.  Within a second before she could even blink, the kid disappeared into the opening of the vent.  

 

Seeing Peter effortlessly slip through the vent swelled hope in Helen’s heart.  Everyone might just make out okay afterall.  Now, however, Helen had a key part to play - keep Quinn from discovering their plan.  Peter had done what he said he would do, now she had her part to play - look busy.  As gracefully as she could, Helen pretended her best to be operating on an invisible body under a white sheet.

***

**Peter Parker**

_Five minutes_.  Peter knew that wasn’t enough time, let alone that he was slowed down by the gunshot wound.  He hadn’t ever been shot before, and it felt pretty terrible, like his insides were on fire.  A part of him had really wanted Dr. Cho to take out the bullet.  But he knew there wasn’t time for that.  If it was a choice between him and hundreds of people making out of the facility alive, the decision was obvious.

 

Peter, as he painfully crawled through the vent, created an action plan in his head.  Five minutes was not a lot of time to get out there and convince people to get help.  Plus, Peter didn’t know if the Quinn fellow had set up an alert or video feed so that once Peter was seen outside the lab, the man see him and release the gas.  No.  Peter couldn’t take that risk.  There was one thing that Peter could do, it was to get a message outside the facility.  Quinn had said that cellphones in the lab were blocked, but if Peter got enough distance from the lab, he should be able to get a signal.  This, was the best and most time efficient plan.  Now it was just the hope that that one bar of signal didn’t take more than five minutes to get to.  This meant for peter to really move fast, so he did, all the while ignoring the throbbing pain that laced through his body.  Peter just needed ONE bar.  Just one.  The fatigue that he had fought off earlier was returning, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out why when he looked beneath him.  He had been leaving a trail of blood in the vents.  Man, the cleanup crew for Mr. Stark’s company was not going to be happy.  

 

Finally, for what seemed forever, Peter finally got his one bar signal.  He immediately called Happy.  Come on, come on.  Nothing.  It went to voicemail.  Shit.  Come on Happy, please pick up!  Peter was feeling desperate, beads of sweat had started to fall from his forehead.  Maybe it was the panic, or maybe infection from the bullet wound, it didn’t matter, Peter was running out of time.  Again, he dialed.  And redialed.  Finally, the phone connected.

 

“Peter, this had better be important --”

 

“Happy, sorry to interrupt you, but it’s really really urgent.  Mr. Stark and a bunch of scientists are being held hostage in the X-Lab in Pharmax.  Some guy named Quinn is the one doing it.  Please send someone to help!  Quinn says he’s going to release a toxic gas to kill everyone in the building.  I'm not sure if he's got eyes in the facility, so the evacs gotta be really under the radar.  Sorry I don't have a lot of details, Happy.  I've gotta go back soon though, before the bad guy notices I’m gone and hurts Dr. Cho.”  Everything came out of Peter in one breath it seemed and his heart dropped when there was silence on the other line.  

 

Peter feared suddenly that the call may have gotten disconnected.   _No no no!_  But a second later, his worries were abated when Happy spoke, and this time his tone had gone completely serious.  

“Got it.  Sending the calvary in on stealth mode.  Tell Tony to hang tight.  Kid, everything okay with you?”

“I’m .. I’m good Happy.  Thanks.  Gotta go.”

 

“Kid, you don’t sound sure --”

 

Peter hung up.   _So sorry, Happy!_ He didn’t want to be rude, but he was running overtime.  His five minutes was up and Peter had to get back to the lab or else everything he had done was for nothing if Quinn discovered he’d been tricked.  Peter couldn’t help but feel relieved that Happy immediately set into action, no questions asked.  Maybe the man suspected something was off, considering that Mr. Stark was rarely not reachable.  Or FRIDAY may have noticed something.  It didn’t matter, the most important thing was help was coming.  Peter only hoped it came quickly.  He didn’t know how long Mr. Stark could keep the man talking.  It was a good thing a lot of bad guys liked to monologue.

The crawl back to the AC-Lab was incredibly difficult.  He was feeling really light headed.   _Gotta move, Parker_ .   _Keep going, you’ve got this.  Mr. Stark, he’s depending on you_.  His vision blurred slightly more than once, and each time, he had to blink several times to refocus them.  Finally, Peter reached the open vent.  He took a second to peek through it, and saw that Dr. Cho was still there in the lab, her back to the table tinkering with something.  This to Peter was good news, it meant that his absence hadn’t been discovered.  

Without a sound, Peter crawled through the AC-Lab’s vent, to the back wall and soundlessly slipped himself on to the steel table, and underneath the white sheet.  When the doctor turned around again, and saw Peter, there was instant surprise on her face, so much she nearly dropped the scalpel she was holding.  

 

After the initial surprise, however, there was all business in the doctor’s eyes.  She set down the scalpel and went to grab the IV fluid and anesthesia that she had prepared while he was gone.  Gently, Dr. Cho cleaned his wound, and then the anesthesia went in.  Peter didn’t know how much time passed by, but the numbing sensation that he felt was great.  The jarring pain that he had felt was slowly ebbing away finally.   Eyes drooping, Peter was ready to let Dr. Cho do her magic and get the bullet out of him.  

 

Suddenly, there was a tremor in the lab, and it was followed by a loud cry of anguish from the other room, “How the hell?!”  Hearing those words, especially from a voice that he recognized well to be the hostage taker Quinn, Peter tried to force himself awake again.  He wanted to know what was going on, and if he could help some how.  

By reflex, he yanked out the IV.  With the anesthesia in him already, however, things seemed to come to him in disjointed blocks.  An explosion.   _Somethings was happening_ .  The calvary must have arrived! Through the glass pane, Peter could see that Mr. Stark had his iron man palm blaster activated.   _Yeah, Iron Man!_  Peter couldn’t but cheer on the inside.

Peter’s head was spinning, and again, the drug was trying to pull him back into a slumber.  No.. he needed to.. he needed to stay awake.   

 

A shot was fired from the outer lab.  Peter tensed, ready to move, but Dr. Cho held him still.  “No, Peter.  You’ve done enough.  They’ve got this.  They’ll be okay.  I think the calvary are here.”

 

Another explosion rocked the lab. Why were there so many explosions?  Peter suddenly saw Mr. Stark look at them with horror on his face and Quinn grinning widely.  

The door to the AC-Lab was locked shut.  Peter and Dr. Cho’s eyes met and they both had an understanding.  The gas, the bastard must have set off the gas in the facility.  Peter could only hope that he gave Happy enough time to pull of the evac outside.  This, however, didn’t help him or Dr. Cho though.  The vent was connected to the external labs and Quinn, he had just locked them in.  That meant the gas was on its way to the AC-Lab.   Did the man know that there was a vent in there, or did he simply make a guess?  There wasn't time to dwell on the matter as he moved to help Dr. Cho toss everything out of a test sample fridge.  Peter knew instantly what she was thinking - the fridge should be air tight and it would keep the gas from getting in.  For the short duration, assuming that people were coming to the rescue, it would have enough oxygen to keep someone alive.  It, however, wasn’t large enough to fit two people.  

The moment that it was cleared, Dr. Cho moved to have Peter go inside.  Instead, Peter grabbed hold of her gently and pushed her towards it. “No, please, you should get inside.  I’ll be okay.”  In truth, Peter had no idea how he would react to the gas, but he wasn’t going to let anyone die on his watch, not if he could help it.

She protested, but Peter gave her little chance to argue.  With a quick apology, he shuffled her into the fridge and closed the door.  It was not a moment too soon as the gas started to enter through the ceiling vent.


	4. Chapter 4

**Peter Parker**

Peter was relieved that he got Dr. Cho in the fridge when he did, a second later it would have been too late.  Grabbing the nearest thing he could find - a rag by the counter - he held it over his face, trying to breath in as little of the gas as possible.  He knew it wasn’t going to work since he was locked into the lab, but it was a basic instinct to survive. 

 

The gas was thick in appearance and gray in colour.  Nothing too unusual from what Peter expected.  He was holding his breath for the longest time in addition to using the rag, but eventually, he was forced to inhale it.  To Peter’s surprise, it wasn’t a pungent smell at all, but instead, a sweet fragrance, like Magnolias.  Didn’t the most deadly stuff smell really nice though?  

 

Peter was rewarded for his deduction with a cough.  And another.  The rag wasn’t doing much, he realized, since he was already breathing it in, so moved to toss it aside.  

 

There was a pounding sound which drew Peter’s attention to the glass pane to his right; Mr. Stark was looking at him with both fear and distress.  Peter could tell his mentor wanted to do something, break through the glass even, but he didn’t, he couldn’t.   The gas was isolated in the AC-Lab right now and getting Peter out, it meant releasing the gas to the rest of those in the X-Lab.  

 

Peter didn’t want to feel emotional, he wanted to look brave, feel brave, show Mr. Stark that he was okay, that he wasn’t scared.  But that wasn’t true.  He  _ was _ scared.  But not scared enough to think about breaking out of the lab and having more people die along with him.  Peter’s breathing had grown steadily more laboured and the cough had also increased in frequency.  After a painful cough that ripped through him, Peter by instinct covered his mouth with his hand.  When it came away, he saw red.   _ Oh.  Not good _ .  

Peter tried to hide the blood, wiped it on his already rather ruined shirt but he knew that Mr. Stark saw, his eyes said it all.  He was blaming himself for this, Peter could see that he was.   _ No,  _ thought Peter, _ don’t let this one be on you.  It’s not your fault!  It’s that crazy lunatic Quinn that’s to blame.  I chose this.  I’m Spiderman remember.  It’s my job to protect people.   _ Peter tried to say the words, but each time he tried, he only coughed harder.  He didn’t want that asshat Quinn to win.  Wasn’t that what the man wanted?  To see Mr. Stark break?  

 

It was starting to get harder for Peter to stay on his feet, despite wanting not to give into the fatigue.  But the bloodloss and the gas together were not a good combination and he reluctantly gave in.  Slowly he slid downwards, his back leaned against the lab table, and his face towards the glass pane.  He looked at his mentor’s anguished and pained face, and just wished he could change what was happening.  Mr. Stark kept pounding against the glass, turning every once in a while to shout at someone Peter couldn’t see.  Yet the man never left Peter out of his sight, he always returned his steady gaze on to Peter.   He wanted Peter to hold on.  To tell him that help was coming.  

_ Mr. Stark, I’m sorry _ , thought Peter.  He wanted to not let his mentor down, hold out, be strong.  But it was becoming so hard, each breath he took, it was growing more and more painful.  Every part of Peter’s being wanted to live.  He didn’t want to die, and least of all on Tony Stark’s watch.   _ This isn’t on you, Tony, please don’t feel that it is. _  It was probably the first time Peter was able to say his mentors’ first name, even though it was only in his mind.  It seemed to always elude him when he actually spoke to man.  It was because he was used to calling him Mr. Stark, a title of respect.  To call him Tony, it seemed too casual, like he would call someone who was his friend.  Friend.  Yeah, Tony was Peter’s friend, but more than that really.  He was someone that Peter really looked up to and admired.  Much like his Uncle Ben.  

Thinking about his uncle suddenly brought tears to Peter’s eyes.  God he missed him so much.  He missed his humour.  His hugs.  His wisdom.  Even his tough love.  How many times had they butted heads, and Peter had never ever said that his uncle wasn’t his father.  Except that day, the day the incident happened.  Tears fell from Peter’s face thinking about it.  He looked at Tony Stark and then to the scientists in the other room.  Uncle Ben’s final words of wisdom came to Peter’s mind - with great power, comes great responsibility.   _ I did good right, uncle Ben?  _   There was a drumming in his ears and Peter couldn’t hear the pounding of the glass pane anymore.  Tony Stark’s face was also blurring away.  And the pain that had wracked through his body, that too was ebbing away.  Things seemed to quiet, a sudden peacefulness seemed to wash over him.  Peter found he couldn’t and didn’t want to fight anymore, the lull of the darkness was too strong.   Slowly, he let his eyes close, allowing himself to fall into the embrace of nothingness.   Like a whisper in the void, Peter could have sworn he heard his uncle Ben reply,  _ you did good, Peter. _  Peter’s lips curled into a smile at that. 

***

**Tony Stark**

Tony Stark had been losing hope steadily for each minute he spoke to Quinn.  The man had shot Peter.  Attempted to kill Helen Cho.  And he knew that the man was going to kill Harley and everyone outside the lab regardless of Tony’s choice on the matter.  Negotiation was just a front.  Even though Tony knew this, it didn’t lift the heavy weight on his chest.  

 

For the time since Dr. Cho had taken Peter to the AC-Lab, the world seemed to be at a standstill for Tony.  A part of him worried for Peter’s state, seeing the kid convulse like that, it sent a chill in his body.  The bullet may have moved, maybe to his heart or another vital area.  All Tony could do was guess on that and also continue the futile attempt to talk sense to Quinn and in hopes of buying time so that someone would take notice that the X-Lab at Pharmax had been compromised.

Harley as a hostage, gave new perspective to how tough the kid was.  He seriously was not afraid, just really really pissed.  During the entire time that Quinn held him gun to the temple, the kid locked eyes on to Tony.   Through that ‘bond’ that the Harley always claimed they had, the kid’s message via eye contact was:  Save the people in the lab, but kill the ash*le the first chance you get.

 

The logical part of Tony told him that as well.  There were well over a three hundred people out there.  But God, he couldn’t do it.  Even if Quinn was intending on killing Harley regardless, for Tony to say those words.  To make that choice.  There was panic building him as he saw Quinn’s one hand start to hover over the gas release key on the console.  

The words were on the tip of his tongue.   _ Do the right thing Tony.   _ And as if the universe decided save him from the most painful decision of his life, a blast of some kind suddenly rocked the lab.  Tony saw James Rhodey, in War Machine mode, outside the lab door, blasting at it, though it was not making a dent.  Behind him were a dozen agents in hazmat suits.  Yes, the cavalry had arrived.  With Rhodey’s presence and the fact the agents all wore hazmat suits, it gave all the information Tony needed - the facility was cleared.  Quinn no longer had a hold on Tony.  Quinn, for all his smugness was finally taken by surprise.  How Rhodey had figured it all out, he would have to thank him later.  Right now, he was going to take down Quinn for what he did to Peter and the threats he had placed on his people.

 

Quinn managed a “How the Hell!” before Tony armed his blaster and Harley who had been waiting for him to do that, dove away the instant he fired. 

 

To Tony’s shock, the man,  _ blocked _ his blast with some sort of energy shield that Tony recognized to be one of the many projects Quinn was on.  Not only did the shield block the blast, but it deflected it and Tony himself had to move out of the way before it struck him.   _ Shit _ , thought Tony as he heard an explosion erupt behind him.

Quinn moved like a panther, trained his gun on Harley who moved equally as fast.  A shot fired.  Harley wasn’t fast enough, but he wasn’t too slow either.  The shot got the kid in the lower leg, but then Harley also managed strike Quinn in the side with something he grabbed hold of when he initially got away from the hostage taker.  It was enough of a distraction for three pissed off scientists to at rush at him, not caring the fact the man still had a loaded gun on him.  Tony looked to Harley, fearing that he may have been badly hurt but instead was met up with a thumbs up and the mouthing of the words:  “Flesh wound”.  

Tony looked back to Quinn just in time to see him use the shield to block the scientists and to key something on the console behind him.  The man gave a satisfied grin to Tony who didn't quite register what the man just did, nor why he did what he did.   
  


“What the hell, Quinn, facility is cleared.  Flooding the it now with the gas won’t do anything.  It's over, you've lost.”  The grin on the man’s face, however, only grew wider and then the realization struck Tony as by instinct he looked to the AC-Lab.  It was lockeddown, with Peter and Helen inside.  Turning to face the glass pane of the lab, Tony didn't fully understand.  Why lock them in?  If Quinn released the gas, how would it get in there... unless, unless there was a vent inside the lab.  The vent.  That was how... God... Peter.  Was that how the message had gotten out?  Once the realization hit Tony, there was nothing he could do to hide the horror from his face.  He watched also as the same realization dawned on those inside the AC-Lab as well.  Helen and Peter were both frantically emptying a fridge.    
  
With Quinn was restrained, Tony rushed to the console to which the man had initiated the lockdown to reverse the commands.  He had to get them out of there before the gas flooded the lab.  Damn it!  Nothing was working, only access denied responses.  Finally, Tony was able to at least reconnect the network comms and to FRIDAY.    

“FRIDAY, tell me you can unlock the AC-Lab.”

“Well, try harder!” He ordered the A.I.   
  
“I will try.  But Boss, the facility is flooded with the gas.  Opening the AC-Lab could potentially flood this lab with the unidentified gas and kill everyone in it.”   
  
Tony didn’t need to hear the facts he already knew.  “The gas hasn't reached the lab yet, has it?"   
  
"No, not yet."   
  
"Then use this time to get it unlocked!  Also analyze data of what you can on the gas and find a neutralizing agent.”   
  
“Working on it, Boss.”

Tony looked through the glass pane, and saw that Peter had put Helen into the fridge and closed it shut.  And not a moment later, the gas entered started to file into the lab.  Peter, with eyes full of curiosity despite the circumstances, looked in awe of it at it for a moment before he started to cough.  No Peter.  Tony pounded against the glass, he wanted to break it down.  He couldn’t.. He couldn’t watch this.  The fresh faced highschool student turned to look at Tony with no short of determination and... Acceptance.  No kid, you are NOT DYING, not on my watch!  But Tony knew that was a lie.  He couldn’t get Peter out, not without killing everyone in the room.  Peter would still die either way.   _ But at least he won’t be alone _ .  Tony felt sick.  No.  God no.  Peter was coughing, and he’d caught sight of blood in the boy’s hand.  God damn it! No, this wasn’t happening.  

“Quinn, stop this, stop it now!  Tell me how to neutralize the gas.  Tell me!”  The scientist simply smiled at Tony’s distress.  Oh how Tony wanted to just wring the man’s throat, but he didn’t move.  He didn’t want to leave Peter’s sight.  The kid needed him there.

Rhodey spoke through the comm, interrupting Tony’s conversation with the scientist, “Tony, are you there, copy”

 

“Here,” said Tony his voice thick

 

“It looks like Quinn’s flooded the facility with a gas.  The team’s working on a neutralizing agent, so we can’t get you out right now.  What’s the status in there?”

“Rhodey, is Vision with you?”

“No, I .. couldn’t find him Tony.  The guy just disappeared.  No note, nothing.”

Shit! Thought Tony.  He’d noticed the AI had been steadily distant and distracted since the battle at the airport in Germany.  But damn it if it wasn’t bad timing for him to disappear right at this critical moment.

“I .. damn it,” he slammed his fist against the glass pane of the AC-Lab.  

 

“Tony, what’s going on?”

“There’s a kid.  He’s stuck in the AC-Lab, and it’s flooded with the gas.  I... I can’t get him out of there Rhodey.”

There was barely a beat before his friend answered, “We’re going to get him out of there Tony.  I promise you.  Hang in there.”

Tony looked at Peter.   _ I’m hanging in there, but he’s not.   _ He felt utterly sick as he watched the kid sink down against the lab table.  “No Peter.  You’re okay.  Just hang in there.  Help is coming, okay kid?”  The kid had tears in his eyes now.   _ No, don’t you dare give in now.  Come on, Peter.  You’re spiderman.  You’re strong.  You have to be stronger.  You are stronger. _


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for all the lovely reviews :) Here's the next chapter!

 

**Tony Stark**

 

It seemed like an eternity before Rhodey finally told him over the comm that the lockdown code had been cracked.  The bad news was that they couldn’t get Tony or the others out of the X-Lab until they neutralized the gas that had flooded the entire facility.  Hang tight was what Rhodey had said.  How long ago was that?  Tony didn’t know.  Didn’t care.  He just wanted them to hurry the hell up because Peter didn’t have long left.   The boy’s chest was barely rising and from anyones standpoint, the boy looked gone.  The only reason Tony knew otherwise was he had FRIDAY monitor for Peter’s life sign and though it was there, the kid’s pulse was fading fast.  Not only was Peter in danger, but time for Helen was also running out.  Tony didn’t know how much air there was exactly in samples fridge, but he was sure as hell that the doctor couldn’t stay in there indefinitely.  

 

“Tony, we’re almost there.  We’ve locked down parts of the facility and have already released an agent that should neutralize whatever Quinn used.”  Rhodey paused for a beat before asking in a concerned tone, “How’s the kid doing?”

 

“Not good Rhodey,” said Tony, with his eyes locked on the still and unmoving figure in the AC-Lab.  “Did you bring the special med team I requested?”  

 

“Yeah, I did.  The kid..., is he enhanced?”

 

“You met him.  At the airport in Germany.”

 

There was a pause and Tony knew that Rhodey made the connection in his reply.

 

“He... that guy was the kid?”  It honestly wasn’t the best time to talk about it, but Tony needed to get a special team specifically to treat Peter.  Regular hospitals would reveal that Peter wasn’t your average teenager.

 

“Yeah.  He is.  Rhodey, he’s running out of time and so is Dr. Cho.

 

“Don’t worry, we’re hurrying.”  There was a slight pause  and then Rhodey added, “Dr. Grayson here says about five minutes tops.  

 

The five minutes felt too long for Tony, but when it finally came, things moved quickly.  

 

The door to the X-Lab slid opened and medics rushed in and went directly to the AC-Lab.  The scientists in the room filed out and a number of armed security literally dragged out the rather battered looking Quinn Sharpe.  The scientists that had restrained the man had tried to give the man incentive to talk about the gas that had been released.  It hadn’t worked unfortunately, but at least the scientists got to take out some of their anger on the man.

 

The last person to leave the room was Harley.  A medic was by his side, helping him limp to the exit of the lab.  The kid looked conflicted, but he knew he couldn’t do anything by being there.  Instead, he said to Tony, “You’ll tell me when he’s okay?”  There was optimism in his words.   _When_ , not _if_.  Tony thanked Harley for using that word.  He nodded and the kid gave a half smile before he disappeared through the doorway of the X-Lab.  Just as Harley left, Rhodey entered, still suited up but his mask lowered.

 

Tony didn’t waste a moment and he started to the AC-Lab with Rhodey trailing behind.  The sight he saw, made Tony sick to his stomach.  Through the pane and the misty gas, it had blocked out the true state that Peter was in.  FRIDAY was only able to give Tony specs on Peter’s condition - that he still had a pulse going, that Peter was still fighting for his life.  But it didn’t prepare Tony to see Peter’s ashened white face, near colorless lips, nor his clothes... that were soaked and covered in blood.   _Of course he would be in this condition.  Helen didn’t operate on him.  Kid used that as a distraction to get help.  Peter.  God... Peter._  

 

The medics had set up the defibrillator machine and Tony knew that Peter’s heart had given out.   _No.  No.  Please, no!_   _Kid, you gotta hang in there.  Don’t you give up!_

 

“Clear!” And Tony could almost feel the current that ran through the paddles to shock Peter.  There was still, however, no change - there was no pulse.  The medic dialed it up another notch.

 

“Clear!”  

 

Nothing.  

 

“Clear!” _Come on, Peter, come on._

 

Nothing.

 

The medic looked ready to give up, but Tony wasn’t going to let him.  “Do it again.”

 

“Mr. Stark... We’ve tried already seven times... I don’t think --”

 

“Do it again!”

 

The medic hesitated for a second, but he did as Tony asked.  “Clear!”

 

“Again,” said Tony.  He wasn’t going to let Peter go.  Not like this.  God.  Not like this.

 

“Clear!”

 

Nothing.

 

“Again!” Said Tony.   _Peter, come on.  Don’t do this!_

 

“Clear!”

 

Nothing.

 

“Tony,” it was Rhodey who spoke.  “He’s gone.  I’m... I’m sorry.”

 

“No.  He’s _not_ .  Do it _again_ !”  Tony was feeling panic rip through him.  The kid.  He was special.  He had to make it through this.  Peter _had_ to!

 

The medic didn’t look as he was going to comply to Tony’s request again, but seeing the distress on his face, he dialed it up another notch and gave it one last try.

 

“Clear!”

 

There was silence.  Nothing...and then there it was.  A small blip, and it grew louder.  Peter was back.  Peter was _back!_

 

“Good job, kid.  Good job,” said Tony moved closer to the kid, wanting to squeeze the kid’s hand, just to tell him he was here for him, but one of the medics stopped him.

 

“I’m sorry, Sir, it would be best if you kept your distance.  The gas has been neutralized, but we don’t know if any of it may have absorbed into his body.  For your safety, it would best if you stayed back.”

 

Tony understood, there was a reason why all the medics that entered had protective gear on.  But damn it to hell, it wasn’t fair.   _Kid, I’m here._ _You’re going to be okay._

 

“Peter’s... okay?” asked a hoarse voice beside Tony.  

 

He turned to see that Helen was sitting up, her oxygen mask pulled down.  There was relief on her face, but there was deep guilt in her eyes.

 

Tony nodded, “Yeah.  He’s breathing now.  He’s.. he’s okay.”  A tear fell from Helen’s eyes, followed by another.  

 

Tony blinked back his own tears, though a single one rolled on its own.  It had been a close call.  Too close.

 

“Not your fault, Helen.”  

“I recommended him, I brought Quinn to you.  I trusted him.”

“I should have been more careful.  And I _did_ create Ultron... and the rest... this, this one ...it’s all on me, Helen.  Don’t blame yourself.”  He moved closer to her, and gently lifted her oxygen mask back on.  “You just take care of yourself first, okay.  We’ll talk about everything later.”  

 

Helen looked as if she wanted to argue, but she stopped herself.  Instead she looked past Tony and at Peter, whom the medics had continued to work after they had started his heart again.  With all the wires and IVs hooked up to machines, and oxygen setup for Peter, the kid looked so small in contrast.  More medics arrived with stretchers.  It was time to bring them to the med bay back at the Avengers Compound.

 

Tony wanted to follow as well, but couldn’t yet - he still had to deal with the authorities about what had happened at Pharmax.  Rhodey, however, went with them, and promised to let Tony know if anything changed.  

 

Once everything settled, however, Tony planned to head directly to the compound and to the med bay.  Happy was there waiting for him outside the Pharmax building.  His first report during the ride to the compound was good news, Helen was doing well, and was being kept overnight for observation.  The bad news, was that Peter was still in a coma - which was what Rhodey’s last report had been as well.  

 

On the ride to the compound, Happy looked up once every so often at the rearview mirror at Tony, opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it without another word.  Tony knew what Happy wanted to say, but he really didn’t want to hear it.  He didn’t deserve to be redeemed of guilt he was feeling.  Despite that, it seemed Happy couldn’t contain it anymore and simply said what he wanted to say.  

 

“Peter, he did good, Tony.  He warned us, told us what was happening.”

Tony didn’t answer.  Just thinking about how the kid had crawled through the vent with a gunshot to the abdomen while he, Tony Stark, stood there, tormented on who to save, made him feel sick to the stomach.  In the end, Tony didn’t save anyone.  He was just the catalyst of it all.

“Tony, he wouldn’t want you to blame yourself for what happened.”

“Doesn’t change that he’s the one lying in the med bay,” he said flatly.

“It doesn’t.  But Tony, don’t let Quinn Sharpe win.  This is what he wants.  Don’t give it to him.  Otherwise, Peter’s sacrifice isn’t worth anything.”

_Sacrifice._  “Damn it, Hap.  This shouldn’t have happened in the first place.  If he dies on my watch --”

“Tony,” Happy’s tone was dead serious, “The kid _will_ pull through.  He will.  You just got to believe that too.”

Tony didn’t answer again, letting the silence fill the car.  Happy had said the same thing as Pepper had found out what had happened at Pharmax.  Yet even with both of them saying the same thing, it gave Tony little consolation.  The events of the day, it replayed in his mind.  Even the mad words of Quinn Sharpe.  Although the man’s actions were misguided, the things he had said, they weren’t lies.  They were based on truths.  This _was_ inherently Tony’s fault.  And if Peter ... if he didn’t pull through... _no, gotta think positive Tony!_  If he did pull through... things would be different.  Peter Parker wasn’t going to be that bright eyed innocent kid he plucked out from Queens a few months ago.  There would be trauma.  There would be nightmares.  Things.. Things would be different, and not in a good way.

***

“How is he?” Were the first words that came out of Tony’s mouth when he and Happy entered the ICU where Peter was situated in.

“He’s still in critical condition, but we’re keeping a close eye on him, Mr. Stark.”

Tony looked at the man’s nameplate - Dr. Grayson.

 

“You’re the doctor who found the neutralizing agent for the gas?”

 

“Yes, Sir.”

 

“Thank you, and good job.”

 

Dr. Grayson nodded, “I just wished I could have figured it out sooner.  I... I will leave you guys for some privacy.”

 

After the man left, Tony moved moved to sit by Peter’s bedside.  The kid’s face was still as pale as before, his breathing shallow and supported by all the wires and tubes attached to the machines around him.  

 

There was silence in the room, only the beeping of the machines and the low hum of the AC.

“I’m sorry, this was all my fault.”

 

Tony turned and saw that Helen Cho had entered the room.  The woman was pale and distraught.  She shouldn’t have been up and walking about.

 

“Helen, you should be resting,” said Tony with concern.

 

“I can’t.   Everytime I close my eyes, I... I can’t.  I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you what Peter was planning.  I didn’t know... I didn’t know if he could do it.  But then he was climbing the walls once we were in the AC-Lab... there was a chance to save everyone.  I shouldn’t have let him.”

“Helen, I don’t think it would have mattered if you let him or not.  The kid, he’s a force of his own.  He’ll be okay.”   _Wow, Tony, you said that like you believe it._

 

Helen didn’t move from her spot, she just continued to stare at Peter’s still form.  

 

A long silence followed before Tony finally said, “Did you know before I upgraded his suit, he was running around Queens in a onesie?”

Slowly, Tony saw the information sink into Helen, and she looked at him and she understood.  

“He’s .. he’s that masked Spiderman swinging around in Queens?”

“The one and only underoos,” with that he by reflex swept a lock of hair away from Peter’s forehead with his hand.   _Kid, you have to make it.  Show me those healing abilities you keep boasting about_.  

There was a knock and both Tony and Helen turned to see the distressed face of May Parkers with a cup of coffee in her hands.   Behind her, Dr. Grayson stood silently and followed her inside.  

 

The woman looked exhausted.  Tony had contacted her the moment everything had been settled with the authorities.  He didn’t want anyone else to break this kind of news to her.  Tony owed Peter that, to make sure that his aunt was okay.

“Mr. Stark,” she said, her voice cracking as she spoke.  

“Mrs. Parker,” he said in greeting and moved towards her.  “How are you holding up?”

“Holding. Is there any change?  Is he awake?  How’s my boy?!”  She was angry and upset, Tony could tell, but she was containing herself, knowing that they weren’t to blame.  It was all over the news that a kid was caught in the Quinn Sharpe case.  To protect Peter’s identity since Peter was still a minor, they did not name him.

“We’re doing everything we can to get him well, Mrs. Parker.”

May nodded and blinked back tears in her eyes.  “Is it alright if I stay here, overnight?”

It was Dr. Grayson who answered, “Yes, of course you may.”

As she took over the seat Tony was on, she asked the question that Tony knew she would ask.  “What’s going to happen to that Quinn Sharpe?  He’s been caught.  What’s going to be done with him?”

“May, I’m going to do my best to make sure he never leaves prison.  Ever.”  Tony wasn't jesting.  Quinn Sharpe was never getting out if Tony could help it.

That evening, Tony put a call through to Principal Morita, explaining that Peter was going to be away for a while, that the kid was working on a coop project.  He was surprised that Morita asked very few questions, and when their conversation ended, his cryptic last words to Tony made him suspect the man knew more than he let on.   _Hope he gets better, Tony,_ were his parting words.  He was positive he hadn’t mentioned to Morita that Peter was sick.


	6. Chapter 6

 

**Peter Parker**

Peter woke to the soft sound of classical music playing in the background and the strong smell of iodoform.  Opening his eyes slowly, he could see that it was nighttime through the clear windows in front of him.  Definitely not home as the cityline wasn’t familiar to him, but it was a really nice view.  With his eyes only, Peter scanned his surroundings.  Yep, not home, and looking down at all the wires and tubes attached to him, he was about 100 percent certain he was in the hospital.  

Out of reflex, he tried moving his limbs slightly, just so that he could be sure he had all of them.  It was strange fear, but a fear no less - who wanted to wake up to find that they had to remove a leg or something to save his life?  It happened all the time in the movies.  Well.  He maybe losing a leg _wasn’t_ that bad, science had improved a lot these days.  But seriously, he’d really much favor having all his limbs as an ideal.   _Yep.  All there_ , he thought in relief after flexing his toes and fingers.  But boy, after just doing that small action, Peter felt exhausted already and the ache all over his body was definitely noticeable. There wasn’t any pain, but he felt like he had been put through the wringer, like the last fight he had with Adrian Toomes at the amusement park.  

 

Relieved to have the basic fear abated, Peter rested his head back on the pillow for a second before tilting his head to look over his right, where he saw a half eaten Walnut date slice ... and someone he did not expect.  Instead of Aunt May who Peter had assumed to be there, it was none other than Mr. Stark himself.  

The man’s eyes were shut, with his arms folded across his chest, head tilted back on the leather chair.  Even though Mr. Stark was asleep, Peter could see the dark circles under the man’s eyes.  No doubt sleep eluded the man for some time.  Oh no… did that mean there were casualties at the Pharmax lab?  Did people die because Peter wasn’t fast enough to warn Happy?  What about Dr.  Cho?  Did they get her out in time.  The small fridge, there really wasn’t a lot of oxygen in there.  Peter could feel a surge of panic ripple through him.  The heart rate monitor that he was hooked up to was also reacting to it.   _Okay, calm down Peter or you’re going to wake Mr. Stark_ , Peter chided to himself.  Breathe.  Breathe.

In calming himself, Peter took in more his surroundings.  There was a clock in the far section of the room that told him the time - just fifteen past midnight.  Then there was the fancy shelves that Peter was pretty sure regular hospitals didn’t have.  Aside from the default smell of a hospital facility, the room was definitely not average looking.  Everything in there looked expensive, from the mahogany colored furniture, leathered chairs/sofas and even a wide screen 65” TV… yeah, Peter was going to be in debt to Mr. Stark for the rest of his life.  No way was he going to let Aunt May pay for this.  Now Peter really wanted to know how long he had troubled Mr. Stark.

_My phone. That should tell me the date_ , thought Peter as he spotted it lying just by the a tray table in front of Mr. Stark.  As he reached for it as stealthy as he could, he accidently pulled out one of the wires attached to him from a machine.  Instantly it started to beep loudly.  Within a second, Peter’s plan was foiled – Mr. Stark’s eyes had snapped wide open and the two of them made eye contact.   _Ah man.  Not good, totally not my intention._

The man was at a loss for words for just a second, as if he couldn’t believe that Peter was awake.  Maybe Mr. Stark thought he was dreaming.

“Peter?” He said hesitantly.

“Hey, Mr. Stark,” he said sheepishly as he pulled down his oxygen mask.  “So sorry, I really didn’t mean to wake you.”

There was a beat, like Mr. Stark was digesting that Peter had answered him.

 

“Damn it kid, you can wake me any time.  Shit.  I can’t believe... FRIDAY, get Dr. Grayson here.”

“I have contacted Dr. Grayson already.  He should arrive shortly.”

The haunted look in Mr. Stark’s face came back – Peter remembered how his mentor was back in the AC-Lab.  Just thinking about it, though made Peter shudder slightly, the memory was not pleasant.

“Kid?  You still there? Peter?”

Peter nodded, he didn’t want Mr. Stark to worry.  “I’m okay, Mr. Stark.  Really,” he reassured his mentor.

A moment later, Dr. Grayson arrived, and there was no shortage of surprise on his face.

“How is he awake,” Dr. Grayson started to mutter as he checked Peter’s vitals from the machines, “impossible…”

“Peter, how are you feeling?  Any pain?”

Peter shook his head.  “Just really achy?  I’m really okay, Mr. Stark.  Aunt May, is she okay?  Where – “, he started to ask but was stopped by Mr. Starks response, “She was here, but I had Pepper came take her out for some dinner.”

 

_At 12:15 am in the night?_ Thought Peter.  But knowing Aunt May, she must have been worried out of her mind.  There wasn’t a doubt in Peter’s mind that she would stay by him the whole time, not sleeping or eating properly for days.  Mr. Stark was the best.  He looked after May, Peter owed him big.

“Thanks Mr. Stark, that’s real nice of you.  Sorry for any trouble –“

“Kid, just stop.  Stop apologizing for a minute.  There’s nothing to be sorry about and stop fidgeting Dr. Grayson can properly check up on you.”

“Fascinating.  Incredible,” was all the doctor said lifted Peter’s forearm, adding pressure to it slightly.   Then he moved remove some gauze around Peter’s abdomen.   _That’s where I got shot!_ Thought Peter.  He wondered if there was a scar there, he’d never been shot before.  The doctor gently pressed around the area and when he moved his hands away, Peter saw that there was a scar but it looked like it was healing okay.  

“Mr. Stark, how is Dr. Cho?  There was a shot, I think I heard one anyway, no one else was hurt? The people in the facility, they all got out okay? I mean, I know I was slow in getting help, I should have got out of the vent or something, but Dr. Cho, she would have been in danger if that Quinn guy saw that we tricked him –“ Peter stopped talking when he saw that his mentor was staring at him.  Mr. Stark’s eyes, they were upset, angry.   _Ah crap, I said something wrong.  Parker, you’re such an idiot.  Mr. Stark’s probably been freaking out with everything, probably hadn’t slept for days.  What if people had died?  You just assumed that the cavalry arrived in time, you could have been wrong!  You just stupidly reminded him of it! Dumb, Parker, real dumb._

“Dr. Grayson?” Was Mr. Starks response, not answering a single one of Peter’s questions, which made Peter want to shrink further into the hospital bed if that were possible.  He had totally stepped on a landmine.

“Given his previous condition of severe nerve and blood vessel damage, I never expected nor hoped for something so miraculous,” started Dr. Grayson and continued to ramble quickly on without even looking at Mr. Stark.  “The gas, Mr. Stark, if you recall my diagnosis to you, it had damaged all his organs and continued to do so even after the neutralization agent was released.  His innate healing abilities were what kept him alive since none of the vaccinations we gave him were working.  I didn’t think he would make it --”

The excitement in the doctor’s voice was evident to Peter, but he could tell that Mr. Stark was growing more tense by the minute.  So when the doctor had literally said Peter was a dead man the moment the gas got him, his mentor’s temper flared.

“That’s enough Grayson. I didn’t ask you to repeat his initial diagnosis, I was asking about his current condition.”

The doctor flushed for a moment, as if realizing that his scientific curiosity had over stepped what he should have been doing, ensuring that Peter was okay and not freaking him out.

But in contrary to how Mr. Stark was feeling – though Peter knew his mentor was only trying to protect him – he _did_ want to know what happened.  So he was literally at deaths door.  He wanted to know what happened to the others?  Just even to confirm.  Because in Peter’s mind, all sorts of different scenarios had began to formulate in his mind.  What if everything had gone wrong after he was locked in the AC-Lab and he’d imagined it working out because he couldn’t handle the truth?  

“According to his vitals and his physical checkup, Mr. Parker is in good health.  I’ll have to draw blood samples to make sure that there is no residue traces of the mutated gas contagion in his system, so Mr. Parker will have to remain here until we find out.”

“Good,” said Mr. Stark shortly, “That’s all I wanted to know.  Do what you need to do and hop to it.”

The doctor nodded and moved to Peter’s side, syringe in hand.  

_Ouch_.  Peter tried not to grimace as he watched Dr. Grayson draw the blood.  “Mr. Stark, I’ll get this to the lab and let you know the results asap.”

His mentor nodded but said nothing as the doctor made a quick exit from the room.

Once Dr. Grayson left, Peter prepared himself mentally for the bad news.  And it must have been pretty bad for Mr. Stark to want the doc to clear the room before telling him.

**Tony Stark**

Dr. Grayson was an idiot.  No, he was a genius, but an idiot at the same time.  Yet some part of Tony understood the shock the man was in, because Tony himself was still trying to process it as well.  Peter _was_ on the edge, just a slight more of a tilt of the scale and the kid would have died.

When they had brought Peter back to the med bay at the Avenger’s Compound, the kid had slipped into coma, likely his body was trying to protect Peter from the pain that was coursing through his body.   The gas had been neutralized by the agent Dr. Grayson released, but it appeared that once the gas was inhaled into a person’s body, it changed and became some sort of infection that attacked the major organs, nerves, vessels, etc.  It was only the natural healing abilities that Peter had that was countering the infection.  Any normal person would have died within minutes of inhaling the gas.  Quinn hadn’t lied about how dangerous it was.

 

One good thing was that the infection was all internal, which meant the kid wasn’t infectious.  Tony didn’t know what would say to May Parker if she had to see Peter in a hazmat suit.  

 

The first night had passed by with no change, but it was the second night that things suddenly turned for the worse.  The infection suddenly took hold of Peter and burst several blood vessels throughout his body.  Bruises started to appear all over him, even his face had black and blue patches.  Peter’s liver was also starting to fail, along with his kidneys.  It took all of Dr. Grayson and Helen Cho’s expertise that night to keep Peter alive.  

 

The following day, the teen was finally stable, but the bruises all over his body remained.  The infection, according to Dr. Grayson was still in Peter and it was aggressive.  Peter was surviving only because his healing capabilities were just countering it.  That instant when the infection took the upperhand again, Dr. Grayson said he didn’t know what it would do.  

 

Tony had stared at Peter’s youthful face, going from pale and near lifeless to suddenly looking like someone’s punching bag.  Peter had internal bleeding all over him and there wasn’t a thing they could do.  Dr. Grayson had suggested the Cradle, but that would only do so much, because it was something inside Peter that was killing him.  Damn, Tony wished Bruce was around.  He may have more of an idea of what to do, maybe enhance the kid’s healing abilities.  From what Tony knew, Peter had been bitten by some kind of radioactive spider which bonded and mutated his DNA.  Bruce’s knowledge in nuclear physics.. Maybe it could help the kid? _Or you know, turn the kid into a giant spider, Tony_.  

 

God.  He hated not being able to do anything.  The worse was watching May Parker, who had entered the medical facility, strong as ever, slowly wear down.  The past few days had been hell for May, and the woman was rundown.  Tony decided to call on Pepper, hating of course to have to wake her at such an hour, but he knew nothing else could get Mrs. Parker to leave Peter’s side.  The woman had been by the kid’s side for over a week, 24/7.  

 

It had been hard to get May Parker to leave, a lot of assurances and Tony’s solemn promise that even the slightest change, she was to be notified, did she finally agree to go with pepper.  

 

When they left, Tony had sank into the seat May Parker had occupied for the past week.  He had glanced over at Peter and then at the vitals – no change.  Nothing.  Tony wished again that he could connect with Banner.  God, if Bruce was present, he would have figured something out.  The man was brilliant.  But the witch, she had done her voodoo on the scientist and he’d gone green and made in rage, destroyed most of Harlem in the process.  After helping defeat Ultron, Bruce Banner had taken a Quinjet and disappeared off the face of the planet.   He’d lost Bruce.  Most of the Avengers – Rogers, Wilson, Maximoff, Barton.  Even Romanoff, though she was still ‘around’, just in hiding.  Now Peter Parker was adding to that list, but in a permanent sense.

_Guardian Initiative_ \- another one of Tony’s brainchild ideas was going to cost a life.  And this idea was only conceptual, it hadn’t even been launched – which was why Ross knew nothing about it.  It was nothing to what Quinn Sharpe was spouting about, some aggressive team to go out there as Earth’s defenses.  No.  This team, they were going to be the behind the scenes guys.  They were going to work on technology, science that was going to help build defenses.   _So a team to help build another Ultron?_ God.  Quinn’s sharpes voice suddenly snuck up on him.  Why the hell was he still on Tony’s mind anyway.  The _Guardians Initiative_ was a science team and nothing more.

“Kid, you were going to be a part of that team, if not the Avengers,” Tony said softly still staring at Peter’s unconscious form.   The boy looked too young, far too young to die.  Not like this.   _Damn you Quinn, you bastard.  How dare you tell me about how life is valued when you didn’t blink an eye in killing innocents._  

Letting out a long sigh, Tony leaned back on the leather chair, and checked on his watch.  It was half past eleven.  Pepper and May should have made it to the restaurant by now.  Tony had specifically paid them to stay open late.  The woman needed a proper meal, whether she believed she needed to or not.  Peter was stable for the most part, at least not getting worse.   _But not getting better_ .  He quickly sent Pepper a quick text to let her tell May that Peter’s condition was still the same.   _Let the woman enjoy a decent meal_.  Though Tony doubt enjoy would have been the word to be used.  May was operating on adrenaline and the food probably tasted like cardboard even if it was from a three star Michelin restaurant.

For a moment, Tony closed his eyes and let himself just rest them.  It had be a tremulous few days.  Ups and down, but definitely more downs to come.  He’d sent for a few more specialists to come in the next day.  Helen and Dr. Grayson had worked together on the different vaccines initially to help Peter fight off the infection, but it wasn’t of any use.  There was something, however, that Helen brought to Tony’s attention, and that was more details on Quinn and the specifics of the gas.

It appeared that the gas was something else of a twisted mix of several dangerous toxins that were incredibly rare to find.  The components of the gas, it wasn’t Stark Industries manufactured.  Helen had used FRIDAY to isolate and link the primary supplier – Oscorp Industries.   Tony didn’t know whether to be happy to have found the connection or be disturbed by it.  Not only had Oscorp developed something this deadly, but the fact that Quinn Sharpe had a connection with Oscorp all the time with the high security clearance to Stark Industries, this meant any information leaked was serious.  

With the new information supplied by Helen, Tony used it to start off his search for more information.  What was Quinn’s connection with Oscorp Industries? Was it just a coincidence?  No way in hell that was chance.  People couldn’t get hands on something this dangerous without special clearance.  So far, FRIDAY hadn’t gotten any hits, but Tony was sure there would a connection.  Just given the time, there was always a papertrail of some kind.

If Norman Osborn was involved, Tony had no doubt this had been a personal attack on him likely based on their last disagreement.  The man might have been rich, famous, and a genius, but he was also petty and rather ... insane.  Tony had to admit, he’d rather have been dealing with the embezzler co-partner of his, Mendell Stromm than with Osborn.  But he didn’t have a choice since the guy was in prison.

 

Tony was going to have to dig into a lot of access points that Quinn touched to find the link with Osborn.  And even then, it was going to be hard to pin it on the megalomaniac.  His top and easiest way was to get Quinn to confess that he colluded with Osborn, but the chances of that, were undoubtedly slim.  Quinn himself would rather deny everything, just so he could spite Tony.  Damn the situation sucked.

And then it got worse when suddenly the serenity of listening to the soft classical music on the radio was interrupted by a rapid beeping sound.   _Peter!_

Instantly, Tony’s eyes snapped open and was shocked to see two saucer like eyes stare back at him.

“Peter,” he managed to say aloud, completely in shock.  Not only was the kid awake, but holy of mother, Peter’s face, the black and blue bruises that had been there, all the way down to this collarbone, they had vanished completely.

No.  Tony was seriously dreaming.  This wasn’t possible.  He’d only closed his eyes for a moment!  How the hell?!

“Hey, Mr. Stark,” the kid said sheepishly.  “So sorry, I really didn’t mean to wake you.”

Tony didn’t know how to respond for a second but then he snapped back to his senses, “Damn it kid, you can wake me any time.  Shit.  I can’t believe... FRIDAY, get Dr. Grayson here,” he ordered his A.I.

“I have contacted Dr. Grayson already.  He should arrive shortly,” was the instant reply.

Damn FRIDAY, thought Tony angrily for a second.  She was suppose to inform Tony the moment there were any changes with Peter.  But he knew he would have to take that up with the A.I. later.  Right now, his focus was on the kid… who was now suddenly shivering.

“Kid?  You still there? Peter?”

The boy nodded to Tony’s relief.  “I’m okay, Mr. Stark.  Really,” he responded reassuringly.

A moment later, Dr. Grayson arrived, and Tony could see there was no shortage of surprise on his face either.

“How is he awake,” Dr. Grayson started to mutter as he checked Peter’s vitals from the machines, “impossible…”

“Peter, how are you feeling?  Any pain?” He quickly asked as he saw the doctor press against his forearm.  There were bruises there before.   What the hell was going on?

Peter shook his head.  “Just really sore?  I’m really okay, Mr. Stark.  Aunt May, is she okay?  Where – “

“She was here, but Pepper came take her out for some food.”

The boy was quiet suddenly, and then he spoke with more uncertainty in his voice.

“Thanks Mr. Stark, that’s real nice of you.  Sorry for any trouble –“

God.  Why was the kid apologizing.  No.  If anyone that needed to apologize, it was Tony.  Peter was just caught in the crossfire of something that was between two juggernauts in the Industry having _disagreements_.

“Kid, just stop.  Stop apologizing for a minute.  There’s nothing to be sorry about and stop fidgeting Dr. Grayson can properly check up on you.”

“Fascinating.  Incredible,” said Dr. Grayson as he applied pressure against Peter’s forearm after seeing that the discoloration was completely gone.   Then he moved to add pressure against Peter’s abdomen.

Again, Tony paid attention to the wound, the one that had kept reopening.  Dr. Grayson slowly removed the gauze dressing around it and then pressed gently around the wound and then shook his head in wonderment.  When he moved his hand away, Tony saw that there was a small scar there where the wound was.  It had not looked like that this morning.

“Mr. Stark, how is Dr. Cho?  There was a shot, I think I heard one anyway, no one else was hurt? The people in the facility, they all got out okay? I mean, I know I was slow in getting help, I should have got out of the vent or something, but Dr. Cho, she would have been in danger if that Quinn guy saw that we tricked him –“ Peter started to ask questions rapidly, all the questions Tony didn’t expect the kid to be focused on.  The kid was feeling guilty about not crawling fast enough through a vent after getting shot in the stomach to get help.  Damn you kid, you did good.  The hell you should beat yourself up for saving everyone’s lives.

The question on Tony’s mind was not on anyone elses health at the moment, just on Peters’.

“Dr. Grayson?”

“Given his previous condition of severe nerve and blood vessel damange, I never expected nor hoped for something so miraculous,” started Dr. Grayson.  “The gas, Mr. Stark, if you recall my diagnosis to you, it had damaged all his organs and continued to do so even after the neutralization agent was released.  His innate healing abilities were what kept him alive since none of the vaccinations we gave him were working.  I didn’t think he would make it --”

“That’s enough Grayson. I didn’t ask you to repeat his initial diagnosis, I was asking about his current condition,” he snapped out, seeing the look on Peter’s face.  Shit, that wasn’t what he wanted the kid to hear, to know.  How close he was to dying _again_.

The doctor flushed for a moment and then recollected himself.

“According to his vitals and his physical checkup, Mr. Parker is in good health.  I’ll have to draw blood samples to make sure that there is no residue traces of the mutated gas contagion in his system, so Mr. Parker will have to remain here until we find out.”

“Good,” said Mr. Stark shortly, “That’s all I wanted to know.  Do what you need to do and hop to it.”

Seeing the doctor nod in understanding, Tony waited with as much patience as he could for him to leave

“Mr. Stark, I’ll get this to the lab and let you know the results asap.”

Tony nodded but said nothing, and the moment Dr. Grayson exited, he turned to Peter.  Time to set the record straight.

“FRIDAY, have you contacted Pepper and May?  Send them news on Peter’s recovery.”

“Done, Boss.”

 

“Peter,” he started and he could see the nervousness in the kid.  He wasn’t sure what was going on in the kid’s mind, but if he thought for a minute he’d done anything wrong, he was going to make sure that changed.

“Everyone made it out fine.  Zero casualties.  You did good there.  You saved everyone.”

There was a wave a relief that seemed to wash over the kid.

“Wow, that’s awesome Mr. Stark.  Best news ever.  I mean, Quinn, he was really fixed on killing everyone,” then he paused a moment, “Dr. Cho?  The fridge –“

“We got her out.  She was a little oxygen deprived, but not by much.  She’s okay.  She was part of the team… that was keeping you stable.”   _Nice choice of words, Tony.  Alive should have been the appropriate one._

“That’s great news.  What about the bad guy, Quinn?  Is he caught?  What happened?”

This was the part that Tony dreaded.  How much of everything did Peter remember?  Tony remembered the feeling of dying, of falling after he had launched himself out there into space to stop the missile from hitting new york.  The panic attack, the closeness to death.  Peter… the kid had experienced death, slowly lulled into it.  Maybe... maybe there was a chance he didn’t remember it.  He didn’t want the kid to remember something so traumatic.

“How much of everything do you remember, Peter?”

The kid’s eyes were like saucers again, looking at him, unsure of what to say.  Why was he looking at me, worried about me?  Shouldn’t this be the other way around?

“Everything.”

Oh.  Tony swallowed the lump in his throat.  Okay.  The hopes of some miraculous memory loss wasn’t in Peter’s cards either.

“The AC-Lab…”

The kid nodded.  “Yeah,” and then seeing the look on Tony’s face, he added, “I’m okay.  Really, Mr. Stark.  It was like falling asleep, that’s all.  It didn’t hurt.”  Oh Tony totally knew that part was a lie.  Like the shot in the abdomen didn’t hurt.  That coughing out blood didn’t either.

There was an awkward silence that followed.  Tony didn’t know what to say.  Call him out on it, and make it worse, make him remember it for what it really was, or accept the kid trying to make him feel better?  God.  Pepper, he needed her here.  She would know what to say next.  She was always better with kids than he was.  

Peter was like a mind reader, knowing how Tony didn’t know how to respond, he switched topics.  “I feel a lot better, Mr. Stark.  You think I can be discharged tonight, I mean if I get my results and a-okay from Dr. Grayson?”

Um no, was the instant reply that Tony had in his mind, but he curtailed his response instead to, “No, there’s more than blood tests that I’ll have to run.  You’ve been out for over a week, Peter,” and he could see the kid nod taking into account how long he had been out – there was actually relief on his face.

“We’ll need to check everything out, thoroughly – and I’ll have to have a psych eval as well.”

That last part, that was for Tony’s sanity, just to know that the kid was going to get all the help he needed.

As expected, the kid shrugged off the need of a psych eval.  “Mr. Stark, really, I’m all here.  Brain is fine.”

“Then you shouldn’t have to worry about having a shrink poke at it?”

There was the look of indignation, typical of a teenager, but God, it was good to see an expression on Peter’s face aside from him lying still and unmoving.

“Oh, where’d those come from? Did Ned come visit?  Is he with aunt May too?”

Tony looked at the lego sets that were on top of a side shelf next to the television.

“Your ‘guy in the chair’ wanted to come, but couldn’t let him see you like you were.  But he said those might cheer you up in case you needed to stay a while for observation.  He started on some of them, thought you should finish them off.  Seems like that’s what you guys do in your spare time.”   _Well, that was a half lie there, Tony had actually tinkered with the lego too.  He wasn’t used to being idle for too long._

“Heh, yeah,” Peter laughed aloud, “we do that sometimes.  Kinda like a hobby of ours since we were kids.”

“Big Star wars fan?”

“Huge.  But,” he stammered a moment, “not as much as the Avengers of course.”

_Avengers should be past tense, kid,_ thought Tony.  In the latest packaging he noticed that the boxed sets just had him, Vision, and Rhodey.  The toy industry was having an all-time low with sales on them.

Tony was really not great at small talk and he could tell that despite Peter’s claim he was completely well, the kid looked a bit tired.

“You should rest a bit, Peter.”

“I feel great, Mr. Stark,” and even attempted to get out of the hospital bed which alarmed Tony to no degree.

Apparently it was also at that same moment that May Parker decidedly entered the room and let out a cry that made Tony feel chills, “Peter Benjamin Parker, you get back into that bed right now!”

Holy crap, if Tony ever experienced the sound of a mother bear on high alert, it was then.  He did _not_ want to be Peter at all.

And Peter, Spider-Man, boy who could lift a car going at full velocity, froze in place and stared into the eyes of his guardian, May Parker.  Just one look and then slipped right back into bed.  “Hey May,” he said rather sheepishly like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

“Don’t hey May me!  What were you thinking of doing?  Trying to run off after lying there not moving for so many days,” her voice went from upset to cracking, and then the tears came down.  Peter who hadn’t a tear in his eye earlier, suddenly looked straight up upset.   _Ok, your cue to leave, Tony_.  

 

Tony saw Pepper in the doorway, who looked both astonished and relieved.   _Tell you in a sec,_ he mouthed as he quickly slipped out of May Parker’s way, letting her have the chair.

 

***

 

**Tony Stark**

 

For the next five days since Peter had miraculously awoken from his coma all healed, Tony had his medical team still continually monitor his condition.  The infection had indeed left his body, and once that happened, natural healing ability in Peter took hold and his condition only continued to improve.  Most impressive was that the kid’s abdomen wound had healed up to just a small scar.

 

While this was excellent news, Tony also received some bad news, well, not completely because he hated the man for what he had done.  But Quinn Sharpe was the only connection that linked to Oscorp and their hand in making the gas.  The man, however, killed himself in between the trials.  For Tony, that was way too neat.  If the man had wanted to kill himself, he would have done so in the Pharmax Labs when he had a chance to use the gun even on to himself.  No, the man hadn’t planned that at all, but someone else didn’t want Quinn to talk.  Tony would have to delve further into this mystery no doubt, but it would be much harder.

 

There would be time for that later, thought Tony.  But today was a good day too, because Peter was finally going to be discharged.  It was a strange sight when he entered the room though, because he expected Peter to be energized to leave, maybe even bouncing off the walls or something.  Instead he found that the kid was awake and … doing homework.  Next to him, sitting in the leather chair was Ned Leeds, Peter’s best friend and “Guy in the chair” as he introduced himself before to Tony.  Peter was completely focused on his homework that he didn’t even notice Tony’s presence until he cleared his throat.

“Oh, Mr. Stark!” and there was that bright look of admiration.   _Kid, I don’t deserve that sort of hero worship, especially not from you_.  Tony’s mind flashed back to when he revisited the Pharmax Facility, when all he could do was watch Peter slowly die in front of him.  Peter seemed to read his mind in a most uncanny way, “It wasn’t your fault, Mr. Stark.  Quinn Sharpe was a sick man, he lost a lot in his life, but he shouldn’t have taken it out on you, or on any of the scientists there.”

“Kid, have you been spending too much time with Happy?  Seems like that’s what he says to me everytime he sees me.”  

 

Tony decided he wasn’t going to share the news of Quinns demise just yet.  Kid would find out later anyway on the news.  

Peter didn’t miss a beat and answered with a smile, “Actually he comes by a lot.  I think he’s less annoyed with me these days.  But it’s probably because I’m still recovering.”

Tony smiled, a genuine one.  “Glad you’re feeling better, Peter.  You did good that day.  You saved a lot of people.”

“Thanks, Mr. Stark.”

Damn, the kid’s eyes were beaming with pride by his praise.  I don’t deserve this.  He felt an old anxiety creep up on him, but he pushed it down.

“I’m serious, Peter.  You saved everyone there that day, you didn’t even think to take a bullet for Harley, a person you didn’t even know.”

“I knew that I could take it, Mr. Stark.”  There was sincerity in Peter’s eyes, no false modesty in his words at all.  “Is Harley okay Mr. Stark? I heard he got shot in the leg.”

_Happy must have told him._

 

“He’s good.  Already out of bed with barely a day at the hospital.”

“That’s awesome to hear, Mr. Stark.”  Peter paused for a second and looked to Ned who shrugged and then nodded for him to go ahead, “Umm.. Mr. Stark?”

“Yeah, Peter?”

“You know that online recruitment thing for the _Guardians Initiative_ … is it still… going?  I mean I know it’s suppose to have started already, and I don’t want to be bother or you know pull any favours because I know you, but it’ll be real great if I could still you know.. join somehow.  I can maybe even shadow or read notes … “ Peter trailed off, his eyes were watchful, hopeful.

Tony just stared at the kid, his own astonishment couldn’t be hidden away.  Peter had almost died, no he had actually died three times on the way to the hospital.  He had saved everyone that was part of that _Guardians Initiative_ and those within the Pharmax facility.  But here he was, was asking and hoping that he still had a chance to join a project that would have had ghosts in its place if not for him.

“Peter,” Tony said, his tone even but dead serious.  The kid really believed that Tony would even think of starting the project without him.  But seeing the nervousness in his eyes, Tony saw that Peter didn’t live a life where things were handed to him, he worked for everything he got.   _He used to dumpster dive just to build cool things_ .  No, Peter didn’t expect things to be given to him, he was a person that earned his place.   _Then you should know Peter, you earned more than your place, you should know that already when I offered you a position with the Avengers._  It was certainly not something that he took lightly, Tony Stark didn’t trust a whole lot of people. But Peter had proven then when he took down the Adrian Toomes that he was trustworthy, and did the right thing, with or without the suit.

“The _Guardians initiative_ , it hasn’t started.  I postponed it until you were better.  You saved everyone's lives, and you damn well deserve a spot on there.”

The kid looked so relieved, “Thanks, Mr. Stark.  I really thought I might have missed out.  I just want to learn, equal chance is all.”  The kid blushed making Tony feel rather awkward for a second.  Thankfully the moment was interrupted by the buzzing of his phone.  Hmmm. Vision had returned to the compound according to Happy, and the A.I. had things to talk to Tony about, something about a impending invasion.  Well, that never sounded good.   _Guy vanishes for two weeks and comes back to report an invasion.  Fantastic, when will things just stay uninteresting_ , thought Tony shaking his head.

“Sorry, Peter, duty calls.  You just keep on with your… homework with your buddy Ned here.  Happy will take you home after Dr. Grayson takes another once over with you.  Make sure you pack up everything, ‘kay?”

Peter nodded, “Got it, Mr. Stark.  Ned and I will make sure we don’t leave a mess.”

“Alright then, I’ll also have Happy call you when the _Guardians Initiative_ starts.”  With that, and a last look at Peter, just to be sure he was good, Tony left the room.  There was a deep relief within Tony in just seeing the brightness in Peter’s eyes.  The kid was strong, he was going to be okay.   _Thank God._

End


End file.
